Alternative transcripts can be created through the use of alternative transcriptional start sites or alternative splicing. Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA transcribed from a finite genetic sequence enhances proteomic diversity. It is estimated that 95% of human genes undergo alternative splicing (Pan et al. 2008) and disruptions in the splicing status quo can lead to various human disease (Cieply and Carstens 2015). The most common cause of abnormal splicing is due to a mutation in the core splicing consensus sequences (Cieply and Carstens 2015). Our data, however, are derived from animals with the same genetic backgrounds and environmental conditions. This suggests that mutagenesis is not the cause of the potential transcript usage differences we observed.
